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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · drill · shower · foot · scale · rash · sharp · pass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. drill — army training
  11. rash — a series
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — a permit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. drill — a practice
  16. shower — rain
  17. sharp — clever
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com